I Was His Secret Genius, Now I’m His Biggest Regret Chapter 26

I Was His Secret Genius, Now I’m His Biggest Regret Chapter 26

On the other end was Mr. Harris, his voice smooth and shrewd.

“Ava, it’s good to hear your voice.” He paused, his tone turning grave. “But I have to say, some of the rumors in Nashville right now aren’t great for our future cooperation.”

Ava didn’t speak. She just listened. She knew what this call was about.

“Clayton Montgomery is a name none of us can ignore, especially in this industry,” Harris said, a clear warning in his voice. “He’s my biggest partner, and you… Ava, you’re a genius, but you’re also a mother.”

Return to the family. The words weren’t spoken, but the meaning was clear.

“The children are crying for their mother every day. Can you really bear that?” Harris sighed. “Look, maybe you should consider pausing your new brand for a bit and handling… family matters?”

Family matters.

The phrase was a cold needle in Ava’s ear. In her previous life, she had been trapped by “family matters” until she was completely hollowed out.

She finally spoke, her voice as calm as deep water. “Mr. Harris, there’s something you may not know.”

“What’s that?”

“Without my knowledge, Clayton Montgomery registered the distilling formulas I created over many years as ‘Montgomery family ancestral recipes.’”

The other end of the line went silent.

Ava’s mouth curved into a humorless smile. “If I file an IP fraud lawsuit, how many points do you think *Whiskey Advocate* will give the Montgomery brand? How much legal and public scrutiny will those so-called ancestral formulas face?”

Harris’s breathing grew heavy.

“This…” He sounded as if someone had him by the throat. “Ms. Chen, this matter, you…”

“I’m just letting you know what cards I’m holding,” Ava said, her voice cold. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

She ended the call and tossed the phone onto her desk.

When she turned, she saw Ethan leaning against the office doorframe, holding two steaming cups of coffee.

He straightened when he saw her.

“Not good?” he asked, without prying.

Ava shook her head, saying nothing.

Ethan looked at her tired profile and handed her one of the coffees. The warmth spread through her palm.

He didn’t ask again.

After a moment, he said softly, “Let’s go to the Blue Ridge Parkway.”

“The weather’s good. We can see the sunset.” He paused. “Want to go?”